Two Delicious NYC Restaurants

This was one of those weekends that I’m just not ready to finish. From start to finish, it was the perfect New York City weekend.

Now that both Bo and his sister Meg live in New York City, his parents try to come up at least a few times a year to enjoy New York and catch up with us. This weekend included some delicious food and a Broadway show. It was a perfect way to spend a rainy weekend in the city.

Friday night Bo’s parents invited us to bring friends to dinner so Theodora and Laura, Meg’s roommate, joined us for dinner at one of our favorite hidden secrets, BLT Fish. I call it a hidden secret as even though it’s over 10 years old the food and service are both always amazing and normally you can get in upstairs as long as you book a few days in advance.

As normal the food did not disappoint and both Theodora and I were thankful for ordering the scallop special. My favorite part of the meal was the raw bar tower and the amazing candied Brussels sprouts! Oh, and just like any BLT restaurant, their signature bread course was delicious. The cheddar biscuits were were divine! IMG_2849

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Yesterday we made the best of the rainy day by heading to Broadway for a matinee showing of Cat on A Hot Tin Roof with Scarlett Johansson and Benjamin Walker. Bo and his father headed to the TKTS booth in Times Square around 10am which allowed them to buy tickets at 50% off! This is one of the best TKTS deals we’ve taken advantage of in ages! As the only Tennessee Williams I read in high school English was A Streetcar Named Desire I didn’t know what to expect from the show other than that it came highly recommended, Scarlett was supposedly amazing, and it was long. The show was so powerful that it left us talking about it for 2 hours afterwards. While I love musicals and other light hearted Broadway shows, there is something to be said for a show that leaves you thinking and talking about the plot.

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We took a break from dining out last night and instead wined and dined at home, sipping some of our favorite wines (Domaine Serene Pinot Noir and Cakebread Chardonnay) while chatting, relaxing, and enjoying a delicious meal cooked by Bo. Meg and I helped with prep but Bo truly owned the delicious meal which included a cheese plate, Caprese salad, hazelnut gnocchi, sautéed mushrooms, and veal chops.

Then, last but not least, we ended the weekend with a late brunch at ABC Kitchen. After a morning filled with working out and errands, Bo’s parents wanted to find a lunch spot near our home that would allow us to relax and enjoy one last, delicious meal before their flight back to Savannah. It’s always hard to think of lunch or brunch places as Bo and I rarely dine out for brunch or lunch, especially in this area. After being at a loss for a moment I suggested a few local restaurants, unsure whether they served brunch. Luckily, ABC Kitchen, one of my all time favorites, only had a 30 minute wait; just enough time for a mimosa before brunch!

This was the perfect brunch spot for our group as we were able to enjoy the beautiful interior décor in a relaxed environment and dine on the top notch food without feeling rushed. We took over two hours fro brunch, enjoying the dishes as they served them as we shared 3 small plates as appetizers before our main courses. I would highly recommend 3 of our items: roasted kobucha squash toast, raw diver scallops, and the chicken salad.

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Overall, our only complaint would be the hit and miss service. Our waiter went from being overly attendant to invisible. We were seated right at the 30 minute point but then once we were seated it took 10 minutes to see our waiter again.

What a wonderful weekend it was. While I’m not quite ready for the weekend to end, at least I can go curl up with a glass of wine and the Oscars!

Have a great week everyone!

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Fitmapped– Your GPS and Yelp for Fitness

Oh the sweet glorious weekend is finally here!

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Last night Meg, Lauren, Theodora, Bo and I toasted to the weekend with dinner and drinks at BLT Fish followed by drinks at Lillie’s Bar in Union Square. It was such a fun evening with Bo’s parents who are in town for the weekend. We enjoyed delicious food at BLT Fish while talking about everything from running to work. Due to my crazy travel schedule it had been over a month since I saw Meg and Lauren; a far change from this summer when we basically saw Meg on a daily basis!

Before meeting Theodora for happy hour at Raymi, I had the pleasure of having my hair done in a work conference room. Yup, pause on that statement for a moment. Long story short, one of co-workers asked me why I don’t wear my hair wavy more often since it’s now longer. I looked at her with a clueless look and basically admitted to not knowing how to use a curling iron properly. She offered to do it anytime as she loves doing other people’s hair and based on her gorgeous hair she knows her way around a curling iron. Therefore, last night a 6pm, after sending my last work email, we converted one of our work huddle rooms into a makeshift salon. One small mirror, a can of Fekkai hair spray and my Conair curling iron were all she needed to take my hair from stick straight to beach waves!2013-02-22 18.20.242013-02-22 18.45.08

Now that we’ve covered my lack of curling iron knowledge, let’s talk about something I know a little bit more about – workout classes! One of my favorite things to do on the weekend is take advantage of work out classes around town that I rarely have time to squeeze in during the week. Whether it’s a relaxing yoga class at Equinox on a Sunday after a week of running or a cardio class at Uplift, I normally go to at least one class each weekend. But, how do I make sure that the class is worth my time before investing the time and money?

There is a new website on the block that can help you find your next favorite class if you’re based in New York City or Los Angeles. Fitmapped is a new website and app that combines GPS capability, Yelp, and the fitness studio’s website into one place!

FiTMAPPED - Your GPS For Fitness

Let’s say that you live in Gramercy and know that you want to take a yoga class within a 1/2 mile of your house on Saturday. You need it to be at a studio where you can pay by the class and you want to read reviews ahead of time.

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Within second, I have the 2 studios that fit my requirements, along with the ratings for their classes!

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Not too shabby, eh?  They also have a blog which features weekly fit deals so you can find the best classes for your budget around town!

In order to get the most out of the sit, they ask users to give back by reviewing classes and using the app to check in on Foursquare and Facebook to make it a more interactive experience. Overall this is a great site which I have already used numerous time in just the past few weeks! Check out the site and let me know what you think! Hopefully you’ll find it as helpful as I have! Let me know if you have any feedback and I’ll share it with the team! Their goal is to grow the site and your feedback will help the team make it the best site possible for NYC and LA based fitness nuts!

* Full disclosure- I’m a FiTMAPPED FiTREP, which means that I get to try out complimentary classes and use the FiTMAPPED website.  However, as always, all reviews are my own!

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Giveaway: Cruise Through Summer with Dasani Drops

A few weeks ago, my friends at Greatist asked me for tips on how I stay healthy each day. It’s no surprise, if you know me, that my tip has to do with water!

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Especially when I’m traveling, a bottle of water is always at my side. It keeps me feeling hydrated and refreshed both inside and out! Airline travel can be tough on my body due to the altitude and pressure changes but also the low moisture levels. Did you know that an plane cabin’s humidity levels are around 5-10%? That’s less humidity than a desert! In addition, I realized first hand just how much hydration helps with jet lag these past 2 trips to Geneva. Even though I enjoyed a few glasses of wine on the trip I also ensured that I drank over 120 ounces of water during the 8 hour flight. This meant that I didn’t have to worry about dry eyes, chapped lips, or a headache when I landed!

But, after 120 ounces, sometimes plain water needs a little oomph in order for me to choose another glass over something more flavorful.That’s where Dasani Drops can come to the rescue! These little bottles are zero calorie flavor enhancers that come in easy to bring with you sizes and containers. Drops come in four fun flavors: pink lemonade, pineapple coconut, mixed berry, and strawberry kiwi. While it’s recommended that each bottle make 32 servings, I love that you can add drops to your flavor preference.

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My favorite thus far is the pineapple coconut but that may be because I’m still dreaming of the San Juan beaches!

In order to ensure you have fun while staying hydrated, the folks at Dasani are giving one Healthy, Happier Bear reader the perfect way to cruise through summer – a new bike! The winner can choose from either a beach cruiser style or mountain bike, valued at over $200. In addition to the bike the winner will also receive Dasani water and Dasani Drops coupons so they can stay hydrated this summer!

DASANI Cruiser Bike

DASANI Mountain Bike

If you want more information about this great new product, head over to their on Facebook and Twitter pages.

To enter:

1) Leave a comment letting me know which flavor you most want to try.

2) Tweet about the giveaway: “@healthyhappier is giving away a @Dasanidrops prize package including a new bike to cruise through the summer! http://alturl.com/2w85y”. Be sure to leave a comment letting me know that you tweeted!

The giveaway is open to US residents only and will close Monday, February 25th at 10pm.

“The prizes for this giveaway were furnished by The Coca-Cola Company, and The Coca-Cola Company provided promotional consideration for my participation in this program; however, Have U Heard is fully responsible for this giveaway. All opinions expressed in the post are my own and not those of The Coca-Cola Company.”

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